Darkness of the evening descended upon the valley...Mosquitoes were whining monotonously while the larks and chirps of the birds were still audible...Everyone were sipping tea sitting over the wooden floor of the hall room... It was the discussion time...Nikhil whispered cautiously,:' aj raat us talav me kuchh honewala hai sir...kuchh bohut hi khas...'
Ishika: hha sir...do gunde ke sath us ghar ki logo ko baat karte huye dekha...
nikhil: sir lagta hai us ghar ki log bhi isme mile huye hain...
Daya:(with a grave face) hmmmm...ya phir ho sakta hai nikhil...ki gunde log hi us ghar me reh rahe hain...
Sachin: sir...main aaj din bhar ghum ke pata kiya hai...ke...ek saal pehle is area me pachas family reh rahe the...jab ki abhi woh bas aat family me ake khara hai...
daya: in sab log kya gayab hai yaa...
sachin: nahi sir...bohut sare log darr ke bhag gaye hain yaha se...
Daya sipped a little tea,; gulped it inside, and then divulged in unflinching manner,:' police report se pata chalta hai...ke...zada tar aurat log tab gayab huye jab woh log talav se paani bharne gaye the...
Before everyone could register daya's words into their brains, Shreya chimmed in a little brashly,:' sir...main jaungi talav se paani bharne...'
-nahi Shreya...' hastened daya with a worried voice and then realizing his fault with a disconcerted face he corrected himself,:"I mean...abhi talav me jana thik nahi hoga...pehle hum ko aur bhi observe karna chaiye...atleast thori si clue milna chaiye ki akher majra kya hai...aur auroto ko kyu gayab kiya jata hain...'
Shreya felt a frisson of delight passed through her heart spreading a tingling sensation over her cheeks and neck...Daya's concern about herself was immensely satisfying but at the same time she was feeling dizziness around her, as since the morning she hadn't taken much food...
daya: aaj raat hum koshish karenge...sab taiyar rehna...
[At night]
Everyone gazing a the direction of the lake with unblinking stare, hid in the backside balcony...Chilly air was blowing speedily making them shivered and the uncanny silence was becoming unbearable...After waiting for half an hour, Daya decided something and immediately inferred,:' Nikhil aur Ishika ...tum log north side ka kamre se khayal rakho...aur Sachin Shreya tum log south side ka kamre me jao...kuchh bhi nazar me aye to mujhe inform karna...'
Everyone dispersed into different directions while Daya along with Mayur kept waiting with perceivable tenterhooks...About ten minutes later Daya received a sms from Nikhil which ran like this,:'Sir...ek aadmi jhari me chup chap baithe hain...shayad kisi ke liye intezar kar raha hai...'
Daya's face was hardened with grimness while Shreya texted him,:' idhar sab clear hai sir...koi bhi dikhai nahi par raha hai...'
Daya kept glancing at the lake with fixed eyes unless and until he noticed a flash of steady light rippling over the deep dark water of the lake...Daya made everyone aware about this and then further texted,:' we will enter from the south side, as it is clear...'
They slipped out of the cottage tiptoeing with care and then advanced towards the south side...But before they could conceive anything, bombs started blasting making them flabbergasted and flummoxed...Within noisome smell and clouds of dust and dirt, Daya could hear someone's scream-and recognize it as a woman's voice...